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The World's Major Religions in One Minute!

This is a very (very!) brief overview of some of the world’s major religions. Religions can be very complex things, and even within a single religion there can be many different views about some of its key messages. There are, of course, thousands and thousands of pages about religions out there, if you’re prepared to look, it can be a fascinating read.

We live in a free country – you can choose to follow any religion you wish, but however much you follow (or don’t follow) a religion, understanding a number of religions helps to understand different cultures around the world as well as within your local community.

Atheism
Atheists believe that the idea of a god or gods, or indeed any supernatural power have been made up by humans. In other words, man mad god rather than the other way around. For atheists, it is for humans to develop and live by moral codes and not to follow values or rules laid down by religion. Atheists believe there is insufficient evidence to support the notion of the existence of God. They believe that scientific inquiry is a more reliable way to work out the why and hows of the universe.

Agnosticism
Agnostics state that there is no objective way to know whether God exists or indeed whether any religion is true but that we equally cannot know with certainty that God (or other supernatural force) does not exist. Agnosticism isn’t so much a faith, but an anti-faith school of thought. Agnostics believe we should accept ‘We just don’t know’ when it comes to issues of God and religion.

Hinduism
Hindus believe in a universal eternal soul called Brahman, who created and is present in everything. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma. There is nearly a billion Hindus in the world today. Hinduism is the biggest religion in India. Hinduism is a very complex religion, there are many interpretations of its central themes and narratives.

Buddhism
Buddhism doesn’t believe there is a personal God. The focus with Buddhism is on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. For Buddhists, meditation plays an important role in seeking truth, an understanding of truth and true enlightenment. A peaceful existence is seen as a cornerstone of a Buddhist’s life. There are nearly 400 million Buddhist around the world.

Christianity
Christians believe Jesus Christ was/is the son of God – Christianity is based on his teachings. Christians believe that there is one god. The central text in Christianity is the Bible – which is split into the old and new testaments. With an approximately 1.7 billion people world wide, Christianity is arguably the largest religion in the world today.

Islam
The word Islam means ‘submission to the will of God’. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe that there is only one God, and that God sent prophets to Earth to teach humans how to live according to God’s law. These laws can be found in the Islamic holy book the Qur’an. Followers of Islam believe that Mohammed was such a prophet – it was Mohammed who revealed Islam over 1400 years ago. Islam is widely regarded as the world’s second largest religion.

Judaism
Judaism is one of the world’s oldest surviving religions. It dates back over 3,500 years. Judaism is based on the principles contained in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, which are explained in the Talmud. Jewish people believe that there is only one God and that he appointed Jews to be his chosen people to provide an example of ethical behaviour to the rest of the world. Judaism states that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present fair and just and that he created the universe.The world Jewish population is estimated at approximately 13 million.

Links and contact details

Name: BBC’s religion information pages
Web: www.bbc.co.uk/religion/
Email:
Tel:
Info: Loads of info on loads of different religions.

Name: Theos – the public theology think tank
Web: www.theosthinktank.co.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: Theos is a public theology think tank which exists to undertake research and provide commentary on social and political arrangements.

Name: The Equality and Human Rights Commission
Web: The Equality and Human Rights Commission – Wales
Email:
Tel:
Info: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been established to promote equality and to tackle and eliminate discrimination in relation to gender, gender reassignment, religion, belief, disability, sexual orientation, age or race, and to promote human rights.

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